Happy Pioneer Day!

My third and final tribute for Pioneer Day is a poster of my Great ++++ Grandfather Lewis Barney. Lewis Barney was kind of like the Forest Gump of early Mormon History, in the sense that he seemed to be present at most famous Mormon events. He knew Joseph Smith and the early church leaders personally and was one of the members of the first wagon train to arrive in Salt Lake City with Brigham Young. Not only was he a member of the original party but he may have been the first man in the Salt Lake Valley. Here is a short excerpt from his journal:

“At the mouth of the Canyon it became very rocky, which delayed the camp one day. I wishing to see the Great Salt Lake Valley worked my way down the creek through the brush, and entered the Valley. I went on a little raise of ground, cast my eyes over the valley, and saw the Great Salt Lake glistening in the distance. I then returned to camp.”

Another fun fact about Lewis Barney is that apparently he and Porter Rockwell had a small rivalry and Porter didn’t like him much. Here’s a great article from the Salt Lake Tribune recounting their relationship: